(Oak Creek, WI)— On August 5, 2012, six members of the Sikh Temple were killed and four where injured in a horrific mass shooting. Today, The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence honors the memory of those who died.

“We cannot tolerate hate crimes and as a nation, we must dedicate ourselves to preventing incidents of gun violence. We were heartbroken when we learned of the shooting at the Sikh Temple. The victims were peaceably gathering in a sacred place and were senselessly gunned down. Our thoughts were with the families of the victims, as they are again today,” said Dan Gross, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

The Brady Campaign is continuing its work on behalf of those victims. We are fighting on a national and state level, for strong gun laws like expanded Brady background checks on gun sales. This expansion of the law will keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.

“Enforcing our gun laws saves lives by keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. The debate around common sense gun legislation isn’t about politics, it is about people. The American people are making their voices heard, like never before, calling for action. Our job is to bring that voice to Congress, and to show our elected leaders that if they ignore the will and well being of the American people, we will hold them accountable,” said Gross.

Colin Goddard, Brady Campaign Victim’s Advocate and survivor of the Virginia Tech shooting, is attending a vigil and healing ceremony in Oak Creek, Wisconsin to help give voice to the families still coping with the tragedy.

“On this day, we should pause to remember the loved ones lost. It is not easy to carry on after a shooting. I know this all too well. But there are ways to heal, and the path I’ve chosen is through advocacy,” said Goddard. “The vow I can make to the families in Milwaukee today is I will never stop fighting for better gun laws, so other families will be spared the pain they are now enduring.”

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The mission of the Brady organization is to create a safer America for all of us that will lead to the dramatic reduction in gun deaths and injuries that we all seek.